Revitalize Your Church

Image from https://www.xpastor.org 1.  Intelligent boards don't mind making complex decisions and they don't want the decision made for them ahead of time. 2.  The higher the engagement and leadership horsepower, the less likely rubber-stamping will be satisfactory.  They will not settle for the first, simple solution.  They need to think it through. 3.  Intelligent boards need good information in order to make good decisions.  This requires a good amount of homework on someone's part, and a clear presentation of options at the meeting. 4.  The best way to frustrate (and lose) intelligent board members is to clog the agenda with trivial non-essentials.  Every meeting should be built around the highest priorities. 5.  Hearty, constructive, debate, expressing differences of opinion is a good way to discover the best answer.  This requires at least some measure of emotional health on the part of all the participants. 6...

After leading or participating in over a thousand board meetings, I've concluded that the most effective boards have figured out how to do the following things well: B --  Believe:   Operate by faith rather than fear.  Prayer for guidance is essential.  When faced with a big challenge, what you do next reveals what you really believe about God. O --  Optimize:   Look for ways build up, strengthen and move forward.  Focus on the possibilities, rather than the problems.  No nit picking or circle spinning. A --  Argue:   Perhaps I should say "argue constructively."  A good board is not just a bunch of rubber stampers.  Neither should it be a collection of cantankerous cranks.  On a healthy board, divergent viewpoints are encouraged and expressed positively.  The best outcomes occur after the various perspectives are weighed.  There's a way to disagree agreeably, keeping the unity of the Spirit in t...

I am in the Twin Cities today, for a Wesleyan Native American Ministries Board retreat. The purpose of our time together is training for more effective board practices. Our trainer is Pat McLaughlin, president of The Timothy Group. The idea that a board can be trained is foreign to me. It's going to be a fascinating experience. From my experience, boards are like cats -- fairly independent and highly resistant to fetching, begging or rolling over. But in a couple of days, I'm heading back to Hayward, just in time to try out my new skills at our monthly church board meeting. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty!"

One of my Church Leadership Students interviewed Mark Batman concerining what it takes to be an effective leader. Mark replied: 1. Listen Carefully 2. Question Thoroughly 3. Act Decisively Good stuff. So often, leaders want to tell rather than listen, argue rather than question, and discuss rather than act.

We had an outstanding Board Meeting last night. There was much faith and positive energy in the air. After a time of prayer, Diane led a devotional, in which she said, "a rut is just a grave with both ends kicked out." Her statement exploded inside me during the reading of the minutes. "Hey! Let's get out of the rut! Let's leave this room and wander through the church for a "walk-by blessing!" There were four different groups meeting at the church in other parts of the building: the praise team, a men's support group, a women's support group, and some cooks in the kitchen, peparing food for the Valentine Banquet. Randy was also there, cleaning up from a class he and Josh had offered for husbands -- How to cook a romantic dinner for two. I told him the women of the church would rise up and call him blessed! We went into each room, told them how much we appreciate them, and that what they're doing is really important. Then, we laid ha...

I returned an hour ago from the church board meeting. We had a great night! God guided our entire discussion. There was much positive energy in the room, and we got a lot accomplished. Last month was a little bit different. What was the difference between tonight's meeting and last month? 1. I bathed this meeting in prayer ahead of time. Earlier this morning, I spent an extra hour in prayer, asking for divine wisdom and guidance for leading the meeting. I also prayed specifically for each board member. 2. I made a specific point to work through issues with a couple of board members who had some unanswered questions before the meeting -- this ended up being a very positive and affirming step for all of us. 3. At the beginning of the meeting, we spent extra time preparing our hearts in prayer, asking God to guide and direct us according to His will -- after all, it is His Church! 4. We did substantial deciding without a lot of hashing. One agenda item that had a "hi...

I felt like Pastor Bozo Bop Bag at our board meeting last night. Took a few hits, and kept coming back up grinning. At least I can say they're passionate bunch and not a school of dead fish rubber stampers.